I haven’t written a blog post since New Years Eve when I wrote about the word I felt like the LORD had given me. In the waiting. Little did I know how I would see that play out in our lives. I had what I now call mini situations of being in the waiting but then on September 1st of this year I began what would be one of the most challenging waiting times in my life.

This is part one of our Journey to a Miracle with Dustin. The story is long but it has God’s fingerprints all over it. Because my friends the place where God’s presence is the thickest and most tangible is in the waiting.

September 1st, 2018

Dustin woke up with shoulder pain. He commented that he didn’t think he could surf and that he must have slept on it wrong.

September 2nd, 2018

Dustin’s pain had increased when he woke up on Sunday morning. He began to question the “I slept on it wrong theory” and we began to think of ways he may have injured him self. When we got home from church he began loading Mady up to take her surfing. When I walked out side I looked at him and was shocked. He was so pale and looked sick. I said “Dustin you don’t look good you can’t take her surfing go inside I am taking your temperature”

Dustin had a low fever and the pain just seemed to get worse. Something wasn’t right. I began to ask all sorts of questions but nothing seemed to add up. The injury and the temp seemed unrelated. A friend who lives nearby and is a massage therapist worked on Dustin to see if he could help with the injury. Dustin threw up while he was over there. Still none of us could put it together.

September 3rd, 2018

The pain has increased yet again and Dustin is feeling horrible. At this point we have treated with Ibuprofen and every natural remedy under the sun. Dustin is guarding his arm and his range of motion is diminishing by the minute. I tell Dustin to go to urgent care because nothing makes sense. I remind him to report his fever when he is checked in. Upon intake at urgent care Dustin did not have a fever. The Doctor met with him and said you have a rotator cuff injury. She gave him a referral to PT with absolutely no imaging or blood tests.

This picture is from September 3rd of Dustin in bed with a couple of the kids watching a movie.

September 4th, 2018

Dustin’s pain has increased yet again. He gets himself together and drives to PT in the afternoon with hopes that this is the answer. I know he was feeling horrible because he didn’t go to work and he never does that. My gut tells me something else is wrong but still nothing seems to add up.

September 5th, 2018

I wake up knowing Dustin had gone to the living room at some point in the middle of the night. I go to check on him and he says he has been up all night. Then he says “honey I went to the bathroom and there was blood in my urine.” I say ok thats it something is really wrong. I call Dustin’s mom to take all the kids to school so I can take Dustin to the ER. I scramble to finish getting everyone ready. Dustin decides to take a shower while I am franticly packing lunches and grabbing clothes (with the help of Ellie and Mady). I check on Dustin after he gets out of the shower and he says he has shortness of breath. My heart is pounding out of my chest as I try to stay calm for the kids. Dustin’s mom arrives and I get the kids in her car and Dustin in ours and we take off. After triage and being led to a room. Dustin’s blood is drawn and the borage of tests are discussed. The blood was bilirubin a sign that your kidney’s are not happy at all.

Dustin’s blood test show he is septic with infection. They take him off to ultrasound to see if the infection is in his shoulder. At this point I have texted people and asked them to pray. One of my friends who works at the hospital tells me she will be right there. She grabs me from the room where I am waiting for him and we go into the hallway where the tears finally leave my eyes. I head back and she tells me to ask her anything and keep her updated. Minutes later while I am still waiting a friend from church walks by. He sees me and asks me why I am there I immediately become a puddle of tears as I try to say what is happening.

Once Dustin gets back they tell us we will be admitted and they are finding an orthopedic surgeon to do an arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder and clean out the infection. As luck would have it the anesthesiologist is my favorite (yes I have a favorite) and he surfs. He immediately puts Dustin and I at ease. We finish off the evening with Dustin in a room and we are hopeful that with some antibiotics we will be on the mend.